The 5 Best Roller Skates For Men, Women & Kids – [2018]

The disco era of the 70’s popularized roller skating. Roller skating rinks became hugely popular and from there developed into a professional sport with different styles such as racing, roller hockey, roller derby and jam skating.

Regardless of style, it’s an easily activity to do for kids and adults alike where you don’t need much equipment to enjoy a workout or smooth gliding.

Roller skates date back to the 1700s and the first models imitated ice skates with wheels. The quad skate with the four-wheel configuration we still use today was invented over 100 years ago!

Let’s take a look at the best roller skates to get you started skating!

If you are looking for inline skates, be sure to check out our recommended inline skates here.

Here is a feature comparison of my top rated roller skates for Men, Women and Kids. Then we’ll talk about how to choose the right pair for you, along with full reviews of our favorite skates and a buyers guide.

Without further ado, let’s jump right in!

Best Rollerskates

Riedell 120 Uptown Rhythm Men's Roller Skates

Riedell Citizen Women's Rhythm Roller Skates

Chicago Skates Adjustable Kid's Roller Skates

For:

Men

Women

Kids

Best Use:

Indoor, Artistic, Jam, Rhythm, Recreational

Outdoor, Recreational, Rhythm

Beginner Indoor & Outdoor

Wheels:

Height: 57mm, Width: 32mm

Height: 62mm, Width 40mm

Height: 60mm

Bearings:

ABEC-5

ABEC-5

608 Recreational

Roller Skates Reviews

Now let’s take a look at the skates in more detail and we’ll guide you in selecting the model that’s right for you.

The Riedell 120 Uptown Rhythm roller skate is a classic indoor model and our editor’s choice for the best men’s roller skates. With a high quality boot and components, it’s designed for indoor rink skating.

Whether you’re just doing recreational laps, artistic dance or jamming to music and rhythm, this model will do it all.

The Radar Riva Wheels feature a high durometer rating of 96A, perfect for indoor surfaces.

With a diameter of 57mm and a width of 32mm, these wheels are slightly smaller and more narrow, allowing you to execute precise maneuvers and tight turns. Standard bearings by Kwik make for smooth rolling.

The high-quality leather boot is reinforced for extra support and features a high cuff with ankle padding and a thin yet comfortable Drilex liner.

Be advised that these skates come with a jam plug instead of a toe stop brake. Beginners might want to switch this out for a traditional brake.

The Riedell 120 Uptown Rhythm skates look slick in black, but are also available with white or red wheels. The red version features red laces.

These are great value skates that allow you to show off your moves and learn new ones – ideal for more advanced and demanding indoor skaters.

The Roller Derby Viper M4 is an ideal quad roller skate for beginners. It is built for indoor roller derby and speed use, but with relatively soft wheels, recreational skaters could also take them outside to practice on smooth surfaces.

The boot features a low cut with traditional laces and a cuff strap. The vinyl upper and the skate in general come with a retro design. Inside, the shoes give you lots of comfort with ample foam padding.

The low profile allows you to move your ankle freely and generate force to get up to speed.

Mounted on a nylon base plate, durability is not an issue with these skates. The wheels are 58mm by 40mm and are therefore wider than artistic skates for good balance.

The actual durometer rating is not specified by the manufacturer, but the wheels are of medium hardness and could therefore be used outdoors as well. The soft toe stopper is great for beginners.

If you want to try and see if roller skating go with the Roller Derby Viper M4, they are the best roller skates for adults at a bargain price.

With a high top boot with leather upper and leather lining, these skates look great and feel good. A padded ankle collar provides support and stability, while the traditional laces allow you to adjust for perfect comfort.

The boot is mounted on a sturdy and lightweight aluminum frame. The trucks can be adjusted to your liking, and you also get a jump bar for soft landings should you be doing airborne tricks in these skates.

The wheels are 58mm in diameter and slightly more narrow than regular wheels for good turns and sufficient stability. The medium hardness is a compromise between shock absorption, durability and performance.

The large toe stop makes braking easy and straightforward, even for beginners.

The Chicago Skates Rink roller skates are the best women’s roller skates suitable for beginners as well as intermediate riders. You get good value for a very affordable price.

This recreational skate is perfect for beginners. It is primarily designed for indoor use, speed skating and roller derby, but the softer wheels will work fine on smooth streets.

The low cut boot allows for ample ankle movement to gain speed quickly, yet with reinforced support and a padded collar, you will have plenty of stability.

You can use these for derby matches as well. The shoe is comfortable and you can adjust the fit with the traditional laces and the cuff buckle.

The durable RTC Pro chassis offers support for all kinds of skating, and on 58mm by 40mm wheels, you have a stable base for good balance.

These wheels have a medium durometer rating between 85A and 90A. They perform well indoors while offering sufficient grip outdoors, although they will wear out quicker on concrete. Braking is easy with the large toe stopper.

The Roller Derby Viper M4’s are the best outdoor roller skates for beginners.

The Riedell Citizen roller skate is a traditional model designed for outdoor use. You’ll absolutely enjoy recreational skating on concrete or the streets with these skates.

For an entry-level price, you get great outdoor skates for beginners or intermediate skaters with the Riedell Citizen. The high profile boot comes with a vinyl upper, additional ankle support and a comfortable liner.

Traditional laces allow you to lace up as tight or loose as you prefer. The boot is on the soft side, giving you enough support but also free movement and a good feel.

The nylon base plate is sturdy and rugged for outdoor use. The wheels are 62mm in diameter and slightly wider than artistic skates for consistent rolling.

With a hardness of 85A, you’ll master the city streets with good grip and without wearing out the wheel too quickly. The standard Kwik bearings are built to last.

The Riedell Skates Dart is a highly versatile quad skate. It is built for rink use with speed and roller derby in mind, but you can use it for most recreational skating and outdoors on smooth pavement.

The skates feature a low cut boot with ample padding, making it very comfortable and well suited for derby. Your ankle moves freely to let you gain speed.

Laces and a cuff strap enable you to tighten the fit as needed. A nylon base plate is rugged enough to withstand use and abuse, and you’ll be rolling on 62mm wheels with a 93A hardness.

Again, this mainly qualifies these as indoor skates, but you can also move aggressively and confidently outside as long as the surface is not too abrasive.

With the adjustable toe stopper, you customize the braking to your preference.

The Riedell Dart comes in six colorful designs with matching hubs to grab attention. These skates offer good value for the money and will make a wide range of skating activities enjoyable and fun.

With the Roller Derby Roller Star 350, you get a beginner’s skate for girls. With the low price, this makes for a great gift and a chance to see if your child is into roller skating.

This is an all-round outdoor model which can also be taken to the skating rink.

The high profile boot has traditional laces and a comfort fit thanks to padded lining and extra heel support. The wheels are small with a 54mm diameter, meaning your child won’t feel lifted off the ground and can find their first rolling movements easily.

The wheels are quite soft to absorb shocks and bumps and provide good grip on a wide range of surfaces.

The frame is made from nylon and goes over into sturdy, rigid trucks, which gives beginners good stability. The material is durable and can take lots of abuse.

These skates are great for young girls who want to start rolling and don’t need all the features of adult skates.

The Roller Derby Laser is a girl’s speed skate that offers comfort and grip. It’s a very inexpensive yet high-quality pair of skates suitable for beginners and more advanced skaters. Their main purpose is rink skating, yet they can be used outside as well.

The low profile boot allows kids to experience the nuances of speed skating without lacking support. The comfort fit comes with a padded collar to secure the ankle, and the heel stabilizer further fixed the foot in the right position.

Proper adjustment is possible with the laces and the cuff strap. A Tru-Trac nylon plate is paired with metal trucks for good turns.

The low diameter of 54mm means children don’t have to ride very elevated above the ground, and the durometer is a good mix of speed capability and outdoor use. A toe stopper allows for safe braking.

The Roller Derby Laser speed skate enables beginners to take to the rink for the first time with comfort and confidence, while more experienced skating girls can show off their skills in style.

The Roller Derby Trac Star adjustable roller skates prove that quad skating doesn’t have to be for girls only.

Their futuristic design in silver, red and black will definitely appeal to boys, and their features make it easy to take the first glides outside or at the rink.

The very inexpensive skate is geared towards beginners, yet it can stay with your child for a long time thanks to an easy adjustment system. With the push of a button, you can change the size.

The hard shell boot provides support with a hinged cuff and high profile. Two buckles guarantee a secure closure, and the washable liner ensures that everything inside will stay fresh.

The wheels feature a lower diameter of 54mm, so kids won’t feel high off the ground. The durometer is balanced to give good grip on concrete outside, yet the wheels are durable enough to take them to the rink as well.

A big toe stop means coming to a halt is always a safe option. The Roller Derby Trac Stars are the best boy’s roller skates. With time, they can move on to racing, hockey or rhythm skating.

How to Choose the Best Rollerskates

In our guide, we’ll give you an overview of different types of roller skating and important components of skates.

You’ll then know what to look for and can select a model that is right for you and your needs. The wrong combination of features can result in discomfort, sprained ankles and taking the fun out of skating.

Start by looking at whether you want to use your skates primarily indoors or outdoors, where you’ll skate and what kind of roller skating you prefer.

Type of Roller Skating

Roller skates are basically shoes mounted on a metal or plastic plate with four wheels attached, a pair of two in the front and back. Yet there are nuances and different skates fit varying activities.

Indoor: These skates are meant to be used at rinks and gyms and on indoor tracks. Designed to glide smoothly, they have hard wheels and work best on hard and even surfaces.

They are sometimes called artistic skates because they perform well when practising artistic routines. They feature high boots and often slightly more narrow wheels.

Depending on the wheels and surface, they can be used indoors, but more at indoor skate parks with ramps than at the classic rink. Soft wheels tend to wear out faster.

Jam: This form of roller skating combines aspects of gymnastics or aerobics, dance and skating. Jam skates are low-cut and light-weight for free movement.

In order to perform dips and tricks, they commonly have a “jam plug” instead of a toe stop – or no brake at all. Jam skating can look like breakdancing on skates.

Rhythm: These skates are designed for dancing and gliding to music. A high boot gives you control and ankle support. Depending on the wheels, they can be for indoor or outdoor use.

Racing: Quad skates built for speed come with a boot that resembles a close-fitting and low-cut sneaker with little padding for good control of the skate. Racing skates allow for great maneuverability and free movement and quickly gaining speed.

Derby:Roller derby is a contact sport on skates that also involves racing. These models look similar to racing skates, but have more padding to withstand bashing and bumping into others.

With modern skates, there is often no clear distinction between a racing and derby skate.

Size & Fit

Adults will generally choose roller skates according to their regular shoe size and use a sneaker or running shoe as a model. Skates should not fit too loosely as you’ll not be able to properly gain control.

A too tight fit will be uncomfortable and result in pressure points. For racing or rhythm skates, a close fit will increase performance and the feel for the skate. Keep in mind you can dial in the fit with the closure system.

For kids, sizing can be more difficult as they’re still growing, meaning a growth spurt could leave them in need of a new model. There is a tendency to buy skates larger to allow them to “grow into” the shoe.

However, “wiggle room” results in a loose-fitting skate – a possible cause of injuries. Skates that don’t fit properly are not fun to ride and mean your child cannot fully control them.

Wearing multiple socks means unnecessary moisture and not sufficient ankle support. To counter your child outgrowing skates too quickly, get an adjustable model that will last them longer.

Wheels

For quad roller skate wheels, both size and hardness are important. A typical wheel size is 62mm, which makes for a low and stable center of gravity, perfect for beginners.

A larger wheel allows you to travel faster but is slightly more difficult to maneuver. Smaller and more narrow wheels increase your ability to perform nimble movements and tricks.

The hardness of skate wheels is expressed in durometer. A higher number indicates a harder wheel. Soft wheels provide more grip but will wear out faster. A rating of 73A to 85A is considered soft and great for outdoor skating with good grip on uneven surfaces.

You can use them indoors if the surface is somewhat sticky, like a mat or a laminated floor. A durometer rating of 85A to 103A is considered a hard wheel primarily for indoor skating.

They perform well on hard, slippery and even surfaces. On an extremely smooth surface, they can be used outdoors. Indoor wheels should rarely be used outdoors.

Inversely, the effect of an outdoor wheel indoors will be too much grip, slowing you down.

Boot

Roller skates come with high or low boots or shoes. A higher boot will give you more control, similar to an ice skate or high inline skate boot. They will also support your ankles better.

A lot profile skate shoe can be found on recreational models as well as racing and roller derby models, as give you more freedom of movement. Competitions might require a certain profile.

Hard boots can take more of a beating and are great for beginners and kids, because they’re more durable. Soft skates are more flexible and less resistant to abrasion and damage.

They can be quite comfortable, but might offer less support, especially for the ankle.

Liner

A liner provides comfort through padding and some support in the form of a footbed. Quad roller skate liners tend to be more minimal than those of inline skates.

Closure

Most roller skates are lace-up models. Low-profile shoes lace similar to sneakers and tennis shoes, while the lacing on higher shoes and artistic skates follows the example of ice skates.

High-performance models with a low profile shoe such as racing or derby skates typically feature a cuff strap for further tightening and support.

Bearings

Skate wheels have bearings at their center, which influence how smooth your rides are and how much speed you can gain. They’re rated on the ABEC scale (Annual Bearing Engineers’ Committee).

A higher number signifies a more sophisticated, smoother bearing, but also means it is less resistant to dirt, dust or water entering. For most skaters, rating of ABEC 5 to ABEC 7 is sufficient.

Toe Stop

Unlike inline skates, quad roller skates feature the brake at the front. More advanced models come with an adjustable brake that allows you to fine-tune the braking to your needs.

Jam skates and some Rhythm skates feature a so-called “jam plug” instead, which is a round knob. These can be used to perform tricks and the absence of a brake increase maneuverability. You can swap the jam plug for a regular toe stop.

For Kids

Adjustable skates are great for kids because they can accommodate growth spurts and will last them longer. A harder boot will make it easier for kids to learn skating as they’ll have better support.

Kids commonly just skate for fun, so the type of skate is less important as long as it fits, they can ride it well and like the model.

However, if your child expresses the wish to figure skating or roller dancing, an artistic, indoor or rhythm skate is best, with a high boot and wheels fit for the respective surface.

FAQs: About Roller Skates

Q: What’s the difference between roller skates and inline skates?

A: Roller skates commonly have a wheel configuration like a car, two parallel wheels in the front and back of the shoe. They are also called quad rollers or quad roller skates.

As the name indicates, inline skates feature a line of wheels of three, four or even five wheels. Their wheels are much more narrow than those of traditional roller skates, giving you less surface area to ride on.

The feeling of riding on inline skates is closer to riding ice skates.

Inline skating is also referred to as rollerblading – for two reasons: the line of wheels is like a blade (again, like that of an ice skate), and the company Rollerblade was the most popular manufacturer for a long time, making the term rollerblades synonymous with inline skates.

Q: Why should I start roller skating instead of inline skating?

A: Much like inline skates, roller skates come in different variations for indoor or outdoor use as well as for racing, derby or hockey.

Roller skates provide a wide wheelbase due to the design with two wide wheels in parallel, making it easier to stand or lean to the sides a bit. However, the wheelbase of inline skates is longer, making front and back balance easier.

The beginner techniques for both skate types are nearly identical. Both require balance, strength and stamina.

Nowadays, some people view roller skates as more retro, associated with aerobics, dance and skating rinks, while inline skates have a more hightech and aggressive image.

You can perform tricks and stunts in both of them, and ultimately it comes down to your preference.

Q: What size should I get?

A: It’s important to get the right size and achieve a good fit and support and avoid discomfort. Look for sizing tables and recommendations from the individual manufacturers, but as a general rule, adults should base their choice on their current shoe size for regular, casual shoes.

For children, the right fit is equally important, yet once they have outgrown a pair, they’ll need new skates. Adjustable models can grow with children’s feet.

Any new pair will initially take some time to break in and adapt to your foot. Once they’re worn in, roller skates will be more comfortable and supportive.

Q: Where can I skate with roller skates?

A: Roller skates come for indoor and outdoor use, or both, and all you need is basically a large, flat and smooth area.

Watch out for areas that prohibit skating, and don’t put yourself or your kids into harm’s way in terms of traffic – parking lots are not a safe bet.

Some curling clubs and ice skating rinks convert into roller skating rinks in the summer months, and there are dedicated roller skating rinks, of course. Check the Roller Skating Association to see what’s available in your area.

Q: Do I require additional gear?

A: Safety is important! Protect your head with a helmet and wear protectors or special gloves on your hands. There is also protective gear for your elbow and knees, and of course plenty of safety gear for kids allows your children to skate safely.

Best Brands of Roller Skates

Roller skates have been around for over 100 years! So you can imagine may manufactures of roller skates have come and gone. The few that are left are making some very good roller skates. Here are my favorites:

Chicago Skates: Founded by the Ware brother in 1905! They have since been bought out by National Sporting Goods but still retain the name and the quality.

Riedell: Maker of quite a wide variety of outdoor sporting goods. Their roller skates are some of the best around!

Roller Derby: With a name like Roller Derby you better make some good skates and they do! Best known for making value skates at very reasonable prices.

Conclusion

Let the type of skating you want to do guide your decision. Think about if you’ll be skating outdoors or indoors, and if you want to specialize with rhythm skates or speed skates, for example.

Pick something that suits your skills, yet allows you to improve. For children, safety and comfort are important. We hope our guide will be useful in getting a pair of roller skate that will keep you satisfied for a long time, regardless of your skating style.

Notice: Outside Pursuits is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees sold through by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.
Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliate links supports our efforts to bring you the best possible product reviews at no additional cost to you. We appreciate your support here at OutsidePursuits.com

About Richard

I work part time as an IT security consultant. Luckily I can work from anywhere so I go back and forth between Colorado and Florida.
I get my fix of skiing, hiking and camping in Colorado in the Dillion area, and when I am in Florida you can usually find me on the water either paddleboarding or kayaking.
My recent passion is scuba diving, I got certified a few years ago and "get wet" as frequently as I can.